And The Plot Thickens
by Minttown1
Summary: WIP - Craig and Rosanna, Aaron and Lucy, a mysterious stranger... please r


Disclaimer: Hmm. We don't own As The World Turns or the characters. They are property of CBS, and we are making no money on this story, just the satisfaction that we're producing a quality piece of fanfic.

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And The Plot Thickens

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Chapter One: Misdirection

Balancing the room service tray on one knee, Lucy reached for the money on the table beside the door. "Thanks a lot." She smiled at the young man as she handed him the tip.

She heard her cell phone ring across the room and hurried to sit the tray down and close the door. "Hello?"

"Sweetheart."

"Daddy!"

"How are you? How are things going with Rosanna?"

"Everything's fine, Daddy."

"That's great. Listen, your mother and I are arriving back in Oakdale within the hour."

"Mom's with you?" Lucy asked, feeling her stomach knot.

"Don't worry," Craig reassured her. "My trip went very well."

"So I'll be staying here?"

"Yes, Oakdale Latin will have the grace of your presence for another semester."

"Thank you, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Lucy dropped the phone back into her purse as Rosanna stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair. "Who was that on the phone, Lucy?"

"My dad. He was calling from the plane to tell me he and my mom are coming home this morning."

Rosanna smiled stiffly. "Really? Well, I think that's wonderful for you, Lucy."

Lucy returned the smile. "I know you ordered breakfast, Rosanna, but I really want to go home and wait for my parents."

"That's fine. I enjoyed having you here, and please pass along to your father that if he and your mother have plans, you are welcome to stay here."

"Thanks, Rosanna." Lucy opened the door, revealing Carly on the other side preparing to knock.

"Hi, Luce. How's your stay with dear Rosanna going?" Carly smiled, first at Lucy and then at Rosanna.

"Actually, I'm on my way home. Dad called to tell me that he and my mom are on a plane back to Oakdale."

"Oh, well, I'm sure that you and Craig have both really been missing Sierra," she said pointedly, staring past Lucy into the room.

"Yeah." Lucy looked hesitantly from one woman to the other.

"Be sure to tell them I said 'hi,'" Carly continued.

"Of course." Lucy brushed past Carly into the hall.

"Well, Rosanna, looks like Craig's little tête-à-tête was a success. While you were here conspiring with Babs, our little Craig was off in Montega wooing the love of his life."

"Hello, Carly. What brings you here this morning?"

"I came to congratulate you on your partnership with Barbara Ryan. It really is true, I suppose, that snakes of a feather flock together. Now it seems that you and Barbara have even more in common: You've both been used and thrown away by Craig Montgomery."  
  
"I don't have time for your juvenile theatrics this morning, Carly."

Carly pulled a slightly faded white carnation from a vase on the table and twirled it between her fingers as she spoke. "It seems from where I'm standing that you'll be having a lot of free time from now on."

"I'm sure the motive behind Sierra's visit is to see Lucy and her family."

"But what about our dear Craig's motives?"

"I bet you have some idea, as always," Rosanna stated, sounding fatigued.

"Craig's motives with rich, powerful woman have been consistent."

"Well, I can assure you, Carly, that Craig has never received a cent from me."  
  
"Maybe you're right, Rosanna. Why would Craig want the Cabot money when he could have the leader of an entire country and the mother of his child?"

"Could you please leave?" Rosanna indicated the door.

"Sure, Rosanna. Jack and Parker are waiting for me to have breakfast, while you're here in your hotel room eating room service." Carly paused in the doorway. "Alone again."

Rosanna waited until Carly's footsteps retreated down the hall, then closed the door, leaning dejectedly against it.

~*~*~*~*~

Lucy smiled in the mirror as she dialed Alison's phone number.

"Hi?"

"Alison! It's Lucy. I have the greatest news!"

"Really?" Alison asked, her voice bordering on disinterested.

"Yeah. My mom agreed to let me stay in Oakdale."

"Wow!" Alison feigned enthusiasm. "I'm so happy! So you get to stay in town with your boyfriend?"

"And with you," Lucy reasoned.

"Well, then I suppose that's a reason to celebrate. Want to meet me at the country club this afternoon? That way you can share the great news with Aaron."

"Um, I have to check with my parents first."

"Okay. I'll sign in as your guest, and I'll see you when you get there."

Lucy heard Alison hang up at the same time Craig pushed through the door, arms loaded with packages.

"Daddy!" Lucy ran to him as he dropped the boxes on the couch and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I missed you so much, princess," he told her. She stepped back to see Sierra waiting in the doorway, arms folded across her chest.

"Mom, it's so great to see you." Lucy wrapped her arms around Sierra. "We have so much to catch up on. Things have been so great here with Daddy."

"I know we do, hun, and I can't wait to hear everything." Sierra returned her hug.

"So, how was the flight?" Lucy stepped back.

"It was fine. The meal was okay, but they were playing an old W. C. Fields movie. You know how I hate those."

"Come here, my little chickadees." Craig held up a box. "I got this for you in Montega," he told Lucy.

She carefully took the package from his hands and opened it, revealing an antique water globe. The base was ornately carved pink coral and the scene within the globe was several horses running wild along the beach. "It's beautiful," she breathed, surprising him with another hug.

"When I saw it, I immediately thought of you, your beauty and grace and strength."

"Lucy, have you had breakfast?" Sierra interrupted.

"No, I haven't."

"I can order room service if you'd like," Craig told them.

"Oh, yeah," Lucy remembered, "Rosanna asked me to give you a message."

"What's that?" Craig asked, looking interested.

"She said that if you two have plans, I'm welcome to stay with her. And Carly said to tell you 'hi.'"

"Really? When did you see Carly?"

"She came to Rosanna's as I was leaving this morning." Craig looked worriedly in the direction of Rosanna's suite, and Lucy noticed. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I want to go thank Rosanna for having you stay there. Order breakfast, and I'll be back before it arrives." He kissed Lucy on the forehead, picked a small package up from the pile on the couch, and left.

~*~*~*~*~

Rosanna was sitting dressed at the table, staring at the cold food in front of her. She started when she heard a knock at the door.

She sighed as she pulled it open. "Carly, I think it's about --"

"I'm not Carly." Craig held his hands out between them, complete with her gift. "See? No feline weaponry."

Rosanna took the box and sat it beside the door without opening it.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked after a moment.

"Wouldn't you rather be getting back to Sierra?"

He followed her into the room and put his arms around her waist from behind. "Sierra and I will always be connected because of our children, but anything beyond that has been dead for years." He turned her gently to face him and tilted her chin so their eyes met. "I have someone new in my life."

"Carly said --"

"Shh."

"Craig, you can't just swoop back into town with your ex-wife on one arm and a present under the other and expect me to be waiting. What are you doing here?"

"I'm afraid I may be falling in love with you."

She paused uncertainly for a moment, then cleared her throat. "So," she said, smiling, "what did you bring me?"

He handed her the gift and watched as she opened it. She carefully lifted a pair of gold hair combs from the box and turned them over in her hands. "These are exquisite," she told him softly as she placed them in her hair.

"Not nearly as exquisite as the wearer."

~*~*~*~*~

"I wonder what's keeping Dad."

"Go ahead and eat, Lucy. It's hard to tell when he'll be back."

"Okay." Lucy took another sip of her orange juice.

"I wanted to discuss something with you anyway," Sierra began. "I know your father implied that you'd be staying in Oakdale this fall --"

"I'm not going back to Montega. I'm staying with my father."

"I never intended for you to stay here past the spring. Your home is in Montega."

"Yeah, at the boarding school."

"Lucy, I did not take the time from my busy schedule and fly here to be dissuaded. Part of the original conditions of your staying in Oakdale was that your grandmother be here to keep an eye on you. Now that she's out of the country, I cannot allow you to stay here unsupervised."

"I am supervised," Lucy protested. "I'm with my father."

"And where's your father now? This is the perfect example of how responsible he can be."

"All he did was go to thank Rosanna," Lucy argued. "He'll be back any moment. He takes good care of me. He is a wonderful father."

Sierra regarded Lucy, sadness in her eyes. "I am determined not to lose another child to your 'wonderful' father's parenting. We will be on the plane tonight."

Lucy stood, and disappeared into her bedroom in tears. Sierra made a move to follow her, but sat back down.

Lucy came back into the living room a few minutes later with her beach bag. "May I at least go say goodbye to my friends? I already made plans to meet Alison at the country club."

"I'm sorry that this is hurting you," Sierra tried to explain. "That was never my intention. I only want what's best for you."

"May I go now?"

"Yes. Make sure you are back here at six. You need time to pack."

"Okay." Lucy carefully placed the water globe within her overstuffed bag and turned to Sierra. "Tell Daddy I love him," she requested as she was leaving. "I love both of you."

~*~*~*~*~

"So, Aaron, maybe after work you can finally take me for a ride on your motorcycle." Alison looked hopeful. "What time do you get off?"

"Not tonight, Alison." Aaron made his way over to one of his tables, Alison following closely behind. "Can I help you?" Aaron asked.

"Ah, yes, my good fellow. Could I see your wine list?" The man looked over his sunglasses as Aaron handed him the card. "It's strange. I'm sure we have never met, yet there is something familiar about you."

"People have told me I resemble my father. Maybe you know him? I'm Holden Snyder's son, Aaron."

Before the customer could reply, Lucy ran up to Aaron.

"What's wrong?" he asked, alarmed at her expression.

"Oh, Aaron, it's awful! My mother's forcing me to go back to Montega, and I can't now!"

"Aw, Luce," Alison began, "it must be horrible, having your mother want you to live with her, what with the servants and the money and everyone knowing who you are."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be, Alison. Everyone there treats me like I'm made of glass, or they don't see me at all. I'm not Lucy there; I'm Sierra Esteban's daughter."

"Well, what are you going to do?" Aaron asked.

Lucy started to cry. "I can't stay, but I have nowhere to go."

"Don't worry, Lucy, we'll think of something."

"No, Aaron, it's not 'we,' it's me. I'm not going to have you ruining your life."

"I'm not letting you go on your own. I've been on the road before," he reasoned. "It's hard. I'm going with you."

"You can't both go!" Alison spoke up suddenly. "What am I supposed to do?"

They stood quietly, looking at one another.

"Excuse me." Three heads turned back to the man at the table as he stood, cringing slightly, to face them. "I happened to overhear your plight, and I have a possible solution. While I am not one to encourage such impetuous behavior, if you are determined to leave Oakdale, I know of a place."

Aaron eyed him suspiciously. "Why would you offer to help us?"

"Why, can you imagine the unscrupulous people prowling the streets, ready to take advantage of a sweet young girl such as your friend here? If I allow you to go off without first learning your destination, I would lie in bed at night remembering the missed opportunity I had to help you. I can sleep soundly knowing exactly where you are."

Aaron looked stricken as he imagined the possibilities. "So, where's the place?"

"Somewhere I have used over the years when I felt the need to get away at a moment's notice."

"And you're just going to let us use it, no strings attached?" Aaron asked skeptically.

"On the contrary, there is one stipulation. Before I give you the directions, I want you to swear to me that you are willing and able to take full responsibility for your and this girl's safety."

"I give you my word," Aaron said immediately.

The man gave Aaron an indecipherable look. "Do you know the location of the town of Joliet?" Aaron nodded. "Take interstate eighty toward Joliet, but take the eastbound exit three miles before the town limits. Turn left when you come to a fork in the road. After a mile you can follow the railroad tracks straight east on foot."

"How will we know which house to stop at?" Lucy asked, finally regaining the ability to speak.

"It is the only house," the man said, "hence that will not be a problem."

She quickly grabbed his hand in both of hers. "I don't know how to thank you."

The man reached out to Aaron, and they firmly shook hands. Aaron could feel a pair of keys against his palm. "Thank you."

"Certainly, but I plan to hold you to your promise, Aaron Snyder."

Aaron looked on respectfully as their benefactor returned to his seat, then turned to Lucy. "I cashed my first paycheck this morning. We can get gas, stop at the store, and be there by tonight."

Lucy nodded, then hugged Alison, who had gone unnoticed for several minutes. "I will call you."

Alison watched as Lucy and Aaron departed, then took her cell phone from her handbag and dialed. She listened to the ringing. "Come on, answer your phone!" After angrily hanging up, she dialed a second number. "Hello. Is Emily Stewart in her office? This is her sister, Alison. I really need to talk to her... Thanks..." Her voice became light. "Hi, sis! I've been at the country club with Lucy, and we have plans to go somewhere tonight. Could I borrow some money? I'll pay you back the next time I see you... Thanks, you're a lifesaver. I'll stop by The Intruder during your lunch... Yeah, I love you, too. Bye."

The man at the table watched Alison's departure as he beckoned a waitress.

"Hi, what can I get you?"

He handed her the wine list. "I have changed my mind. I would rather have a Straits Sling."

"A straight sling?"

"No, my dear, a Straits Sling," he corrected her. "It's a concoction of gin, cherry brandy, and fruit juices, with hints of Cointreau and Benedictine and angostura bitters."

She looked uncertain. "Well, sir, I'll have to check with the bartender."

"That's very kind of you." He smiled fondly. "I have developed quite an affinity for them since traveling in Singapore with my wife..."

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I co-wrote this with my mother. She's the one to thank for keeping it all so beautifully in character.

Interested in reading more? Drop me a note through ff.net or e-mail, and I'll try to hurry along the next chapter.

Hope you've enjoyed the story thus far. :)

~ minttown1@yahoo.com


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